[awm]

Matchpoints, all white.

LHO opens 1♣ (standard bidding) and partner overcalls 1NT (the usual 15-18). You hold:

♠K7
♥5432
♦KQ42
♣832

How hard do you push for game?

[bluecalm]

I clicked GF by accident. My choice is to pass.
I consider it clearcut. I often force to game with 8 count in this situation but this is about as bad 8 as it gets.

[MarkDean]

Those are some really bad spots. I still game force: partner should know a lot about the hand from the bidding.

[jjbrr]

stayman and invite

[andy_h]

Stayman and invite in all cases.

[peachy]

If partner had opened 1NT, this would be an invite. When the location of most of the HCP is known, partner is normally able to take 9 tricks. At matchpoints, the choice is (for me) between invite and game, at IMPs game always. The additional factor in favor of game is that many play an overcall 1NT as 15+ to 18, while opening NT is 15- to 17 and virtually never 18.

[bluecalm]

Quote

If partner had opened 1NT, this would be an invite.

I don't agree with this assessment at all.

I do agree that 1♣ opening make it more likely that we have game. I think it's still a pass though. This hand is just too awful.

[the hog]

bluecalm, on May 16 2010, 09:28 AM, said:

I clicked GF by accident. My choice is to pass.
I consider it clearcut. I often force to game with 8 count in this situation but this is about as bad 8 as it gets.

This is a clear invite and I don't think it is close at all. I do think the 15-18 point range is too wide, however.

[y66]

I voted bid stayman and invite. Would not mind at all if my partners are more aggressive with this hand.

[whereagles]

GF, on grounds that pard, even if minimum, will have an easy time locating the missing high cards.

[billw55]

bluecalm, on May 15 2010, 09:28 PM, said:

I clicked GF by accident. My choice is to pass.
I consider it clearcut. I often force to game with 8 count in this situation but this is about as bad 8 as it gets.

eh? I can think up plenty of 8 counts worse than K and KQ. I bet this hand gets me two entries for marked finesses.

Clear invite to me. Particularly if the NT range includes 18 (as indicated), I think pass is very bad. You will pass a possible 26 point game with the high cards marked? That must be wrong even at matchpoints

[ArtK78]

Stayman and invite.

These hands tend to play well because all of the opponents' assets are in one hand.

I have to admit, though, that if partner's range were 15-17 instead of 15-18 I would probably pass. I want to play in game opposite 17 or 18 when one opponent has everything except for a possible stray J or Q.

[gwnn]

To prove to myself that I am an expert, I will invite in NT but force to game if partner has 4 hearts. I like my relatively pleasant concentration and my xxxx in hearts will be much better if I can transform them into trumps. I think if I wanted to prove that I am a superexpert I would mention here that my 8 of clubs is very good in no trump since it may establish another stopper in partner's hand, but I have never reached that level of thinking before, not even as a means of pretentiousness.

BTW I don't automatically overcall 1C with 1NT with 15 just because I have a stopper (I am not saying that the other posters here are) so my optimistic game forces are sometimes realistic.

[kfay]

MATCHPOINTS!!!!!!!!!


I invite...

[mikeh]

I think that it is right to pass at mps against good defenders or in a generally strong field.

Passing probably asures us of a plus (unless they start with a spade through and run 5 or 6 spades on us). Inviting risks turning that plus into a minus more ways than it stands to turn it into a bigger plus.

We can find our hearts and maybe fail at the 3 or 4 level. We can play 2N and fail. We can play 3N and fail.

We can find hearts and make a partial that scores the same tricks as notrump.

Or we can find hearts, and outscore notrump, or bid and make a game.

Since my partners generally accept invitations aggressively, for me, the chances of turning a plus into a minus seem slightly higher than the chances of improving our score. But it is close. Give me as little as a couple of 10's and I'd bid.

And I'd bid in a weak field or against weak defenders.

How's that for hedging?

[Phil]

I think we need a sim.

I would invite FWIW.

[bluecalm]

Quote

I think we need a sim.

Anybody into simuls besides me ? I obviously did mine before answering the question but it would be interesting if someone else took a stab at this.

[awm]

I suppose a simulation is likely to depend on exactly what a 1NT overcall means to you.

Personally, I don't think there are any balanced 15s that I would pass in this auction. Certainly there are some that are more suited to some other call (double, even a four-card overcall). In fact, I occasionally overcall 1NT here on 14-counts. But I've seen others say that 1NT should be at least a "good 15" so presumably there are some 15s that don't qualify.

However, the hand given is my hand; partner is probably a bit more "down the middle" than I am for whatever that means. Certainly no reason to think our styles would match.

[bluecalm]

Quote

However, the hand given is my hand; partner is probably a bit more "down the middle" than I am for whatever that means. Certainly no reason to think our styles would match.

Yeah, that's the problem with simuls.
I did 16-17 (hand which accept invite) with 2clubs A, K or 3+clubs at least Q or 4clubs JTxx+; no 5card majors, no 6 diamonds. The result was something like 32 or 36% for 3NT. I don't remember exactly.

I can repeat those with your assumptions if you are interested.

[quiddity]

I wonder if this is one of those times where we should bid stayman and then pass if we find a heart fit - we expect to outscore those who stop in 1NT and don't want to jeopardize it by trying for a close game.